Discussion

Devry
MGMT591 Week 1 Discussion 1 & 2 Latest 2017 January

dq 1

OB Challenges (graded)

This week, our text discusses the definition
of organizational behavior, and in particular, its applied focus. Our lesson
focuses on high-performance organizations (HPOs). However, in order to become a
HPO, an organization needs to navigate the complexities of the workforce as
well as mitigate the challenges that exist. What are some of the biggest
challenges and opportunities that exist for managers in using OB concepts? Give
specific examples. How can the study of OB help organizations work through these
challenges successfully?

dq 2

The Individual:
Diversity in Organizations (graded)

People are so complicated, there’s so much
going on inside each of them, much of what we think we know about each of them
we don’t. That’s where perception, presumption, and attribution, not to mention
stereotype, fail us. There is no one set path. Idiosyncratic is the best way to
really describe people. Everyone is outside the box. Everyone is an exception
to the rule. No one is “the average.” It is ultimately the only true diversity.
That makes each person, each individual, one of kind. Nothing routine about any
of them. Source: Adapted from Louis Scheimer, Valdosta State University.

Let’s begin our exploration of INDIVIDUALS
with a focus on diversity in the workplace from an OB perspective by discussing
the following case study.

Devry
MGMT591 Week 2 Discussion 1 & 2 Latest 2017 January
dq 1

Satisfied Workers +
Individual Differences (graded)

Our discussion this week focuses on the topics
in Chapter 3-6 in the textbook. For starters…assume you are new to your job,
and on the first day you have a conversation with your boss, who says,
“Satisfied workers are productive workers.” Do you agree with her statement?
Why? Why not? Please support your opinion with evidence from our readings.
Please also remember to respond to your classmates’ posts to stimulate further
discussion.

I will also introduce discussion starters related to emotion and mood,
personality and values, and emotional intelligence as the week unfolds

dq 2

Decision Making +
Perception (graded)

Poor quality decisions are endemic in business
today. As Paul Nutt remarked in his 2002 book, Why
Decisions Fail, “Half of the decisions made in organizations fail, making
failure far more prevalent than previously thought” (p. 22).
Unfortunately, things have not improved dramatically since then. Fortunately,
we have a useful body of knowledge available to help us improve our decision
making skill. We’ll begin with a case study to get at some basic decision
making fundamentals coupled with additional material I’ll share as we explore
this important topic.

Here is our case study on decision making. Discussion questions found at the
end of the case document. Address only ONE question at a time.

Mid-week we’ll shift our focus to perception
and attribution.

Devry
MGMT591 Week 3 Discussion 1 & 2 Latest 2017 January
dq 1

Application of Motivation Theories
(graded)

CLASS…here is our case study on motivation for this week.
Concentrate your efforts on helping the class understand the varied motivation
theories in our readings this week.

dq 2

Job Characteristics Model +
Rewards/Recognition (graded)

In Chapter 8 our authors introduce the Job Characteristics
Model. Please open the attached excel spreadsheet– Job Diagnostic Survey.
Click on the survey tab at the bottom of the sheet and complete the survey.

Note that there are 5 tabs…introduction, survey, results, graph of your
results, and tutorial.

Post your Motivating Potential Score (MPS) with a shortened title describing
the job for which the score applies. Then describe specific things that can be
done to enrich the job using the core job dimensions identified by the job
characteristics model. What obstacles would have to be overcome to apply the
model to this particular job? [Please list the scores for each of the 5 core
job dimensions as well]

NOTE:Mid-week we shift our focus to rewards and recognition.

Devry
MGMT591 Week 4 Discussion 1 & 2 Latest 2017 January
dq 1

What Constitutes a
Team? (graded)

CLASS….here is our group and team dynamics
case study for this week.

I look forward to your comments and analysis.

dq 2

A Lesson in Team
Building (graded)

“Help! I have just been assigned to head a new
product design team at my company. The division manager has high expectations
for the team and for myself, but I have been a technical design engineer for
four years since graduating from college. I have never managed anyone, let
alone led a team. The manager keeps talking about her confidence that I will be
very good at creating lots of teamwork. Does anyone out there have any tips to
help me master this challenge? Help!”
You immediately start to formulate your
recommendations. What are the three key things you will advise her to do, and
why those three first?

Devry
MGMT591 Week 5 Discussion 1 & 2 Latest 2017 January
dq 1

Communication + Conflict (graded)

Class…here is our case study on conflict and
communication.

p.s. Be sure to complete the conflict styles inventory in my first posting in
this thread.

dq 2

Leadership (graded)

CLASS…here is our leadership case study for
this week–Tale of Two Leaders.

PLUS as part of our coverage of leadership, complete the Personal Power Profile
assessment in my first thread and share your results.

NOTE: Toward the end of the
week, look for my discussion topics on followership and organizational
politics.

Devry
MGMT591 Week 6 Discussion 1 & 2 Latest 2017 January

dq 1

Organizational Culture + OCI (graded)

CLASS…Here is our case study on
organizational culture.

Please see my first thread posting. Also share your OCI results in the threads.
dq 2

Organizational Structure + Design
(graded)

CLASS…here is our case study on organization design and
structure.

Self-assessment: Organizational Design Preference…Click
here–>ORGANIZATION DESIGN PREFERENCE

Devry
MGMT591 Week 7 Discussion 1 & 2 Latest 2017 January
dq 1

Resistance to Change (graded)

CLASS…here is our case study on change for
this week. Although a simple example of a change initiative gone wrong, it
offers us many lessons to explore the full spectrum of change management
issues. Focus all your efforts on this case study this week! I look forward to
your comments and analysis in the threads.

Note: I will add further topics related to resistance and change as the week
unfolds.
dq 2

Resistance to Change
(graded)

CLASS…here is our case study on change for
this week. Although a simple example of a change initiative gone wrong, it
offers us many lessons to explore the full spectrum of change management
issues. Focus all your efforts on this case study this week! I look forward to
your comments and analysis in the threads.

Note: I will add further topics related to resistance and change as the week
unfolds.

Devry MGMT591 Week 2 Life Styles Inventory (LSI) Assignment
Latest 2017 January
Life Styles Inventory (LSI) Assignment Guidelines
Developing a willingness and ability to engage in
self-reflection is a critical leadership skill that is not easily learned, yet
which reaps many rewards. The Life Styles Inventory enables you to examine your
unique way of thinking and how it influences your behavior.
Your Assignment
Complete (on your own) the Life Styles Inventory according to
the procedure outlined here, so that you end up with your Life Styles
Circumplex profile: 12 personal thinking style scores, with one score for each
section of the circumplex. See the embedded link for additional information.
Write a three to five page paper examining and explaining your
LSI results. Make sure to comply with the Grading Rubric provided. The required
page count does not include the title page or table of contents. Hint: The
table of contents should include the four topics in the grading rubric.
Due date: Place the paper in the Dropbox by midnight on Sunday
of Week 2.
LSI Style Interpretations
Go to the LSI1 Results page, find your circumplex profile, and
click on the circumplex slice of one of the styles. The site will bring you to
a customized interpretation of the style you clicked on. Click on each of the
12 slices to see all of the customized style description pages.

Devry
MGMT591 Week 3, 5 & 7 Course Project Assignment Latest 2017 January
Objective
Research shows that people learn effectively when working on
real problems grounded in their work experience. To this end, our Course
Project is designed to incorporate students’ work experience into the learning
process in this course.
The project is an opportunity to explore, in-depth, a topic
related to the course objectives (TCOs) that is of significance to you or your
organization (current or former).
Summary
Members of the class are required to prepare an applied research
paper, with a minimum of 10 pages but not to exceed 15 pages in length
(excluding cover page, table of contents and appendices), on a specific issue
related to leadership or organizational behavior.
Guidelines
Topic Selection
1. Select
aspecificorganization
of interest to you and identify a problem at the firm related to organizational
behavior (OB).
2. Think
of yourself as an organizational consultant and assume that a key manager has
requested a thorough analysis and recommended course of action to resolve an
actual organizational problem that will make a difference to the future
performance of the organization.
3. Identify
which course Terminal Course Objectives (TCOs) are related to the problem you
identify.
Research Sources
1. All
papers must have aminimum of six scholarly sourcescited within the text of the paper and
identified in the references section.
2. Additional
research sources can be attached in a bibliography.
3. Review
the following document for instructions on how to access and use EBSCOhost for
your research:.equella.ecollege.com/file/c30543ea-10f8-4a03-8448-cab2b4deb682/7/documents–ebsco_host_tutorial_updated.docx”>EBSCOhost.
Paper Format
1. All
papers should be double-spaced, using an 11- or 12-point font.
2. The
length of the paper is to be between 10 and 15 pages, not counting the cover
page, table of contents, nor appendices.
3. The
first page should include the title of the work, student name, course number
and title, date, and professor name.
4. The
second page should be a table of contents. It should, at a minimum, reflect the
seven items listed in the Grading Rubric.
5. Follow
APA style for general format and citations (see the APA Guidelines Tutorial in
the Syllabus).
6. The
paper sections must adhere to the guidelines below, and each section must be
labeled in the text.
7. The
language should be clear, concise, and precise.
8. The
tone should be professional, consistent, and not filled with jargon.
9. Grammar
and syntax (sentence structure) must be correct.
10. The
report must be free of misspellings and typos.
Tables and Figures
1. All
figures and tables must be referred to in your text before they appear on the
page.
1. Figures
and tables should appear on the same page as, or the page after, the text that
refers to them.
2. All
figures and tables need captions. Captions go below figures and above tables.
Quotations and Citations
1. Quotations
and citations are crucial components of a research paper and must be present.
2. Failure
to properly cite research sources and borrowed ideas is plagiarism.
3. Refer
to the APA style guide for assistance with properly citing quoted or borrowed
materials and ideas.
4. Turnitinis used on all reports and projects. A
report can be obtained for your review prior to submitting your final work.
Make sure that you are in compliance with the University’s 20/80 rule.
Milestones

Week

Action
Required

1

Familiarize yourself with course
content and select an organization and problem area to research.

3

Submit a written Brief Proposal of Research containing the
following:
1. A
brief overview of the chosen organization and your role in it
2. A
preliminary problem statement in the form of a researchable question
3. A
brief narrative description of the organizational problem that you would like
to research and resolve
4. Which
Terminal Course Objective(s) your problem is related to

3

Conduct library research on your topic.
1. Identifya minimum of six scholarly resources for your project.
2. All
resources for the paper must come from DeVry Library and must be of scholarly
quality.
3. Use
the librarians for assistance in accessing materials.
4. Review
the Using EBSCO tutorial.
Please Note: Articles found online
(many on consulting company websites, Internet magazines, or other blogs)will not be considered an acceptable scholarly
resource. Conduct your research through a library where you
can be assured that the sources are of scholarly quality.

5

Submit a written Expanded Research Proposal containing the
following:
1. Title
page and Table of Contents
2. Documentation
of at least three initial scholarly sources from the library
3. Expanded
introduction to the organization
4. Expanded
description of your chosen problem
5. Preliminary
solution options (can be bullet points)
6. Preliminary
analysis of leadership and organizational behavior concepts addressed in the
paper

6

Continue to work on the class project;
seek professor help as required.

7

Submit the completed project.

Project
Outline
Your paper must include the following sections.

Section

Points

Description

Title Page

5

Title of your applied research paper,
course number and title, professor, and date.

Introduction

10

Provide an overview of the organization
and your role in it. Give enough information about the firm to acquaint an
unfamiliar person (no matter how famous the company). Identify name,
location, size, market segment (business line), and a brief history. Identify
the essential issues, events, or actions to help frame the problem and
subsequent discussion points.

Problem Statement

15

Identify and clearly state the problem (the leadership or
organizational behavior issue that you have selected to research). The
problem statement should be phrased in terms of a researchable question. For
example, if a work group is not performing effectively, an effective problem
statement might be “How can group performance be improved?”
A well-formed problem statement has the following.
1. Focus:
The problem should be well-defined and specific enough for the reader to gain
a clear idea of the OB topic area and the direction of your study and
research.
2. Structure:
If the problem statement is sufficiently focused, it will provide a basis for
decisions about which information to include and which to exclude from the
paper.

Literature Review

40

You must address at least six
scholarly resources in this section.
Approach this section as a mini book report on each of the reference sources
that significantly informed your analysis and proposed solutions. Give the
reader an encapsulated review of what information you found most relevant to
your research. You may have found conflicting opinions or theories related to
your topic area. Identify and discuss any such contrasts or describe in
detail significant agreement among your sources. Your literature review
should be separate and distinct from your analysis section; it is a summation
of your research. The goal should be a paragraph containing a minimum of
three to five sentences per review.

Analysis

40

Explore the problem in depth and with scholarly rigor.
Provide an identification and description of the root causes
of the problem or issue. Be sure not to address only symptoms of your
problem. Diagnose the problem and its origins.
A critical element of this section is to apply leadership and
organization concepts and models from our text, from class discussions, and
from your literature review. Discuss the concepts, ideas, or insights that
are most valuable in helping you make sense of the causes of the problem.
Support your analysis with reference to appropriate research material.

Solutions

30

Identify at least three potential workable solutions to your
problem and identify the pros and cons of each alternative solution and its
high-level implementation steps.
Identify your preferred solution and describe exactly what
should be done and how it should be done, including by whom, with whom, and
in what sequence.Always explain your thinking
behind your final solution set.It’s important to be clear about why
a particular alternative (solution) was chosen, as opposed to others.

Reflection

10

Think about this assignment and write a
well-thought-out reflective statement about how this assignment influenced
your personal, academic, and professional leadership and managerial
development.

References

10

You must use no fewer than six library resources outside of
your textbook.
All references must be cited in two places—within the body of
your paper and on a separate reference list. Choose references judiciously
and cite them accurately. Cite all sources using APA format.
Please note that citing an author’s work within your text
documents your research, identifies the source for readers, and enables
readers to locate the source of information in the alphabetical reference
list at the end of the paper. To use the ideas or words of another person
without crediting the source is plagiarism. Plagiarism in its purest form
involves copying passages either verbatim or nearly verbatim, with no direct
acknowledgment of the source. The most common form of plagiarism is to
paraphrase information from your source material. Paraphrasing does not
relieve you of the obligation to provide proper identification of source
data. The best way to avoid plagiarism is to make sure all quotes, ideas, or
conclusions that not your own are given proper acknowledgment in your text.

Total

160

Devry MGMT591 Week 4 Case Study Assignment Latest 2017 January
Assignment and Guidelines
The case study for this week is Building a Coalition, which
appears on page 580 of the textbook.
Each student is required to analyze this week’s case study and
submit a two- to three-page paper addressing the key questions identified
below. Remember that all case studies present both too much and too little
information. There may be information presented that is not really relevant,
and there may be scant information about a key area. This analysis does require
interpretation of the information, and there is no one right answer; however,
you must explain and defend any assumptions you made, or conclusions resulting
from your analysis, with citations from the text or from the case itself. There
is no need to research outside sources for this paper.
Your papermustinclude the following labeled
sections.

Category

Points

Description

Part I: Group
Development

15

Identify and summarize the
stages of group development.Reflecting
on the case and textbook material, what stage is the group at now? How could
an understanding of the stages of group development have assisted the Woodson
Foundation in building a cohesive coalition? Support your conclusion with
evidence from the case and our text.

Part II: Problem
Identification

30

Identify key problems.Identify
primary and secondary problems the Woodson Foundation is facing. Identify
what the organization should have understood about individual membership in
teams in order to have built group processes that were supportive of her
groups’ goals. Do not necessarily limit yourself to only team theory here.
Plumb any concepts we have covered to date if you feel they are relevant.

Part III: Retrospective
Evaluation

40

Given that there is no one
perfect solution for this situation, identify, describe, and defend two
possible solutions to the primary problem(s).Clearly
identify and defend both courses of action. Identify and discuss specific
steps needed to implement your selections. Support your selections with
evidence from the case, the text, or weekly discussion. Remember that
deciding on a course of action entails envisioning and planning the steps to
success. Be sure to identify implementation steps for both possible
solutions. Almost every situation presented with relation to group dynamics
and behavior can have multiple avenues for remedy. It is important to develop
the ability to critically evaluate more than one alternative and rationally
identify pros and cons of each. Presenting pros and cons for the identified
alternative solutions in a table format within the paper is acceptable.

Part IV: Reflection

15

What would you advise as a strategy for
managing diversity issues for program leaders?

Devry MGMT591 Week 6 – Organizational Culture Inventory (OCI)
Assignment Latest 2017 January

Organizational Culture Inventory (OCI) (Due This Week)
Go to the OCI and follow the instructions on the site. There are
two steps to this assignment.
(1) Submit your OCI results to the Dropbox for this week (pdf or
copy/paste into Word).
(2) Add three to five paragraphs about your learning experience
impacted by the Organizational Culture Inventory (OCI).
Submit your assignment to the Dropbox, located at the top of
this page. For instructions on how to use the Dropbox, read these step-by-step
instructions.
See the Syllabus section “Due Dates for Assignments &
Exams” for due date information.Devry MGMT591 final exam 2017.8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);”>1. (TCO 1, 2) Identify the main elements included in affective events theory. Select any two of these elements and provide an example of how the factor can influence an employee’s job performance and satisfaction. (Points : 10) Question 2.2. (TCO 4) Describe Lewin’s three-step model used for managing change. (Points : 10) Question 3.3. (TCO 5) Identify and define four of the seven key elements in the communication process. Give a specific example of a possible breakdown in a communication flow. (Points : 10) Question 4.4. (TCO 5) Define power from an organizational behavior perspective. What is the difference between power and influence? Provide an example to illuminate your response. (Points : 10) Question 5.5. TCO (C) How does the job characteristics model motivate employees? (Points : 10) Page 2Question 1.1. (TCO 2) What is an attitude? Discuss the three basic components of an attitude. Conclude by discussion why managers or leaders need to understand the attitude concept? (Points : 45) Question 2.2. (TCO 5) Describe the communications process in detail, including all key parts and their particular function, as well as movement of the communications. Provide examples of each part and elaborate on each example. (Points : 45) Question 3.3. (TCO 5) Eagle Standard Inc. (ESI), a major engineering firm, specializes in designing aircraft parts for government contracts. ESI employs project managers and 42 engineers who are divided into project groups of six to seven members. The majority of project team leaders have spent time in France and Britain learning new technology. The Eagle 6 Project Team, consisting of six engineers, is developing new equipment for a jet fighter. The project has been ongoing for 18 months, and all six engineers have been with this project group since its inception, working together on all of these projects. Eagle 6 works well together.However, the Eagle 6 team has the most technical project, and its engineers have been working too much overtime. The senior project manager, Bruce Chalnick, interviewed and hired a new engineer to help out, Richard Hue. Richard has good qualifications and seems to be knowledgeable and motivated. The work is challenging and gives him the opportunity to showcase his computer skills and engineering knowledge. Two weeks in, he quickly became a contributing member of the team, showing initiative and the willingness to work overtime and weekends to research possible solutions to potential problems. Richard was particularly adept with the computer system, and Bruce is ecstatic about his new hire. Richard is a loner, on and off the job. He is from Country X, a small island with a high power-distance culture; all of the other members of the team were born and raised in the United States.After three months, Richard’s learning curve had just about peaked, and he began to suggest new ways of doing things. He offered to mentor the other engineers, but each time he was rebuffed. He then went to Bruce Chalnick and asked for another part of the program to work on. At that point, a senior member of Eagle 6, Tim Flossner, met with Bruce to discuss Richard. Tim stated he was speaking for the rest of the team and said Richard is stuck up and arrogant. Tim said he and the other team members felt Richard flaunts his education and knowledge, and none of them like him. In fact, they can’t stand him.Bruce told Tim that Richard thinks that the rest of the team are slackers who talk about bowling and sports instead of working. Richard thinks he is disliked because he’s from Country X.Bruce wants to keep everyone in the company, and more importantly, within the team, so how should Bruce handle this problem? Detail what he should do by applying at least two conflict management methods to enhance group and team performance. Include roles and decision making in your response. (Points : 45) Question 4.4. (TCOs 3 & 4) Identify the five stages of team development and explain what happens at each stage. Give a specific example from your experience to highlight one of the stages. (Points : 45)